Make it Quick, Make it Painless
by thundernut
Summary: Hiyono, lost in a forest with Kousuke and Ryoko, notices the emotion between the two and feels even more lost without Ayumu. Now that they've run into Hunters, Hiyono needs saving and she only has one hero in mind.
1. Unwanted

**A/N: So, this time it's Hiyo-Hiyo. My first Spiral story uploaded, which is surprising, when you put into consideration my undying dedication to the anime. Hope you enjoy! **

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Hiyono, in her current, restless state of mind, gave a quiet little sniff into the ground. She lifted her head slightly to check that sleeping Kousuke and Ryoko hadn't been woken by her stifled crying. Glad to see they were still in their slumber, Hiyono rolled so she had her back to them and lay staring at the tree trunk directly in front of her.

_I shouldn't miss him this much. _She thought. _I shouldn't be here, in this totally remote place, hoping that he's going to be the one who rushes in and hugs me and tells me everything's going to be alright. _The dirt was freezing on every part of Hiyono's bare skin, like a cold sheet of glass held against her body, and since it had been a perfectly warm day she hadn't chosen to wrap up in more than one layer. She never realised how cold it got in the forest. She couldn't have, she couldn't even give the forest a name; she just had no idea where she'd walked with the two Blade Children. They'd all been so wrapped up in their conversation that they'd failed to realise they'd become lost. Now, Hiyono couldn't even recall the conversations they'd shared. All she knew was that to reach their current location, they'd left town and crossed a field of flowers... and after that Hiyono's memory just went blank.

"There's _got_ to be a reason for this," she whispered to herself, brow furrowed as she thought about any possible ways of how they just couldn't remember.

"A reason for what?"

Hiyono sat upright at twice the speed of light with the shock she got from Ryoko's voice. Hiyono stared at her over sleeping Kousuke, chest heaving, and the girl gave a quiet laugh, poking mock humour at frazzled Hiyono.

"Surely I didn't scare you _that_ much," Ryoko sat on her knees.

"Y-yeah, you did," Hiyono breathed. She eventually calmed her breathing and spun around, leaning back on the tree to face Ryoko.

Ryoko glanced around, rubbing her bare arms. "I can't believe Kousuke made us _sleep_ out here," she said.

­_She's obviously annoyed with Kousuke, but she's keeping her voice quiet so as not to wake him up. _Hiyono thought.

"Yoohoo," Ryoko prompted. "Hey, Dim-brain," she raised her voice a little and Hiyono was brought back to normality. Well, as normal as she could get while trapped in a completely unfamiliar forest in the dead of night with two supposed enemies.

--

Kousuke woke at dawn the following morning to sound of what he put down to being a football bouncing on the ground. He stayed still for a moment, debating whether to wake up or not, and gradually lifted his head from the ground. He was greeted by the image of Ryoko kicking around a football.

"Wha...?" Kousuke blinked, trying to un-blur his vision. He gave his bright hair a ruffle as he pushed himself to a sitting-up positon against the tree. "Ryoko... where did you get that thing?" he asked in disbelief.

"I had it in my bag, Dim-brain,"

"Why do you carry around a football?"

"Because, unlike you, I come prepared," she retorted plainly, chasing the football through the opening.

"Why are you so happy? She's," he pointed to Hiyono, who was still asleep beside him. "usually the one who's in a good mood all the time,"

"You're right,"

Ryoko booted the ball as hard as she could and staggered to a stand-still. She and Kousuke watched in plain amusement as the ball flew through the air and hit Hiyono squarely on the head.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed angrily, sitting up to Ryoko's and Kousuke's hyena-like laughing. Hiyono pushed herself to her feet and glared, but it was notably hard to take her seriously when she looked like she'd got into a fight with a bush and lost. "What was THAT for?" she asked loudly, wide awake with the sore pulsing in her head where the ball had hit.

"Just the entertainment value," Kousuke replied, having stopped laughing even though Ryoko seemed unable to.

Hiyono turned her nose up and made a 'hm' sound as she spun on her heel and stormed off into the forest.

"She's gonna go get herself lost even more," Kousuke commented.

"Who cares?" Ryoko questioned, snapping back to seriousness.

Hiyono stalked through the wood, deliberately kicking up the dirt as she did so. She figured that since she was already lost, what would the problem be in getting even _more_ lost? It wouldn't change anything. And at least now she wouldn't be with those two stupid Blade Children. She strode to a thick tree and spiralled around, sitting down heavily against the tree. She crossed her arms in a pose that was so innocent and childish that it didn't even seem like Hiyono.

"Stupid Ryoko, stupid Kousuke," she muttered. She repeated this a few times until her words changed themselves into something else. "Stupid Kousuke, stupid Ayumu,"

Hiyono gasped and looked up. What had she just said? Was it because she was so used to saying it? She sighed. What would Ayumu think of her now? Stuck in some forest just because she hadn't been paying any attention to where her feet were going. What would he be thinking about right now? Would he be wondering where she is? _Maybe I'm just being big-headed. Thinking he would worry about me... _Would he worry if she was still alive? After all, she had last been seen with Ryoko and Kousuke.

_Would they kill me?_

Right at that split second, she wouldn't have minded if they _did _kill her. After all, what did she have to loose? What did she have to miss? Who did she have to miss _her_? There was Ayumu, but, she knew him well enough to know that he would soon move on and find someone else to befriend.

"Probably someone better at helping him with problems than me," she mumbled.

_Am I just denying things I know are true?_

_Or am I just seeing the truth for the first time...?_

Questions darted around Hiyono's darkening mind like bombs waiting to explode. Her mind felt like a sinking ship, getting heavier and heavier, until she would...

--

_What is that? _

It smelt like those cakes your parents gave you when you were little. Sickly but the kind of icing-smothered cakes that you ate in one and then asked for more. The smell crept up into Hiyono's senses. It smelt like _childhood_.

"Yo! Hiyono?" Kousuke's voice came.

This was not childhood. This was a life teenagers wouldn't even want.

Hiyono felt a pair of fingers pushing up her eyelids.

"Hey!" she slapped the hand away and sat up. She was back in the opening, Kousuke on her right, but that wasn't what she gave her attention to. She stared and licked her lips at the small, perfectly sculpted cake Kousuke was hovering in front of her face. She reached out for it when Ryoko appeared and took it from Kousuke's hand first.

"Why were you gonna give this to _her_?" Ryoko asked, peeling off the wrapping.

"It seemed to be the only way to get her to wake up," Kousuke replied flatly, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, so give it back!" Hiyono exclaimed. She was surprised at how angry she felt that Ryoko had stolen a cake. Maybe it wasn't the sugary treat - maybe it was just Ryoko.

"Just eat it, Ryoko," Kousuke waved her off. "You're probably a better cause anyway," he added as he got up and paced across the opening.

Hiyono just stared in disbelief after pleased and proud Ryoko and Kousuke. Not because of the cake, she decided now, but because of the way the pair obviously cared for each other and looked out for each other without it being a completely full-on relationship. She admired them; but she also loathed them. Not because they were Blade Children, not because of how much they hurt Ayumu; Hiyono had long decided that her worries weren't to do with what they usually were. She loathed them because even when they were trapped in someone strange, they had each other. Hiyono had no one.

No one.

--

"Can we stop now? All I want is a little rest," Hiyono pleaded, dragging herself after Kousuke.

"Urgh, alright, fine, if you'll stop bugging me," he paused and turned to her face Hiyono, who had dropped herself gratefully to the ground to the word 'urgh'. "And..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I won't be long 'coz you've already lost Whirlwind," Hiyono said as she rubbed her aching feet.

Kousuke knew she meant Ryoko and smirked. "That would've usually suited you, y'know. Whirlwind. But we haven't seen you smile since yesterday,"

"Maybe that's because I'm stuck in some weird place with a pair of bakas," Hiyono replied, getting to her feet and storming past Kousuke in one swift moment.

"What the hell?" Kousuke stared after her. He could've sworn that he saw her eyes ablaze as she stalked past. "What the hell's gotten into her?"

"Nothing has gotten into me!" she barked in his direction.

**A/N: Woohoo! The first chapter is finally up! xD Betcha all weren't expecting that change of circumstance. xD**

**Well, I say that because neither was I.**

**xD**

**Since my recent ATTEMPT at a Spiral story died miserably, if you want me to carry on with this one, stick in a review telling me so. I love reviews and it only takes a few seconds to write that you like it or you want me to 'update soon'. xD**


	2. Hunter

**A/N: WooooooP! Second chapter is finally up. I know it hasn't been long but it has been for me... my life's a bit crazy at the moment.**

**Thank you to the peeps who reviewed! (haha, peeps...havent said that in ages xD)**

**Aaaaaanyway.. hope you enjoy this chappie! -is still craving reviews-**

**Let's hope the characters listen to me this time. I mean, it's alright if they want to do their own thing and run off without my typing fingers sometimes, but...listen to me this time? Please?**

**xD Enjoy!**

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Hiyono sighed into her knees as another cold breeze rolled on across her cheeks and half-bare legs. After wandering out of the forest, the unlikely trio had only got themselves even _more_ lost. Hiyono glanced around at her surroundings; a field of tall grass which would be a vibrant green colour if light was sprayed over it, and behind her, the fence bordering the field. Looking up, all Hiyono could see was a silent black sky.

"It's like the calm before a storm, isn't it?" Ryoko's voice came from beside Hiyono.

"Yeah," Hiyono sighed for the countlessly numbered time in a few minutes.

"Can't sleep?" Ryoko propped herself up against the fence.

"No,"

Ryoko joined in with the next sigh.

"Jesus Christ, you're like an orchestra, how loudly can you two breathe?" Kousuke asked moodily as he sat up on the other side of Ryoko.

"Yeah, you can talk, you bloody baka, you snore like Eyes in the middle of the night," Ryoko waved him off with a slight laugh.

"And you _look_ like Eyes in the _morning_, now," Hiyono put in with a gentle giggle.

Both girls laughed as Kousuke ruffled his hair in annoyance. He let himself fall back and yelped when he slammed onto the plank of the fence. Ryoko laughed in sympathy and rubbed the back of his head as he whimpered like a dog. Hiyono got to her feet in silence. She waited for one of the pair to question her actions but neither did.

"I'm going for a walk," she said after a moment.

"Whatever," Ryoko retorted, attention on Kousuke.

Hiyono shivered as she strode out across the field. The grass tickled her legs and she frequently stumbled forward as she leant down to scratch at her legs wildly. She regained her balance for a fifth time and took a deep breath to calm her sudden anger. She stood still for a few minutes, gazing down at the ground and wishing it would swallow her completely.

"Hiyono!"

She snapped her head up to the sound of Ayumu's voice, crisp and refreshing to her ears in the night silence. She bolted forward, following the frequent calls of her name, and suddenly there he was; running into view, Eyes and Rio in tow.

"Ayumu!" she cried with glee, throwing her arms open, ready to embrace him the instant he got close enough. The uncommonly seen speed of her sprint let her reach him within seconds. "Ayu-- oof!"

Something hit her hard in the stomach and she flipped right over the fence. She let her legs fall to the ground before her quietly sobbing face, the only sound in the deafening silence.

Not a single footstep.

--

"Hiyono?" the voice trembled into her ears.

"Huh? Nyuh... ouch... what?" she gave her head a slight rub and opened her dreary eyes a little.

She could still feel grass on her body so she clearly hadn't moved from her landing spot. She must've cried herself to sleep, she figured would make a lot of sense right then. Her normally impecable vision was blurred and she could trace distorted figures beside her. She blinked a few times and knew by the intense flash of cherry red that it was Kousuke kneeling by her side.

"Kousuke...?" she questioned lazily.

"Hiyono," his voice became sharp and angry, but clearly concerned, given to her at a hiss. "Get up right now, run, Hunters have got us, just _move_..."

"Hey, shut up, you little brat," the brooding man hauled Kousuke to his feet by his wrists, held awkwardly behind his back.

Hiyono glanced from angry but unusually submissive Kousuke to furious Ryoko, both in the hands of the enemy. Without a split second's further hesitation, Hiyono scrambled to her feet and sprinted to the side to the relieved grins of the captured Blade Children.

"Now we have to hope she'll actually get help," Kousuke muttered to Ryoko.

Their faces dropped as they watched Hiyono fight an impossible struggle against an awaiting Hunter. Quickly she was walked back to them, and they stood facing each other for a moment.

"Yep, we're dead," Ryoko nodded decisively as she was turned roughly to the side to be marched across the field.

**A/N: Omg... not only was that chapter shorter than I wanted, but now I've got to change the summary... xD I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear. Hope this doesn't put you guys off...**


	3. Gagged

**A/N: So, here's the third chapter. (no way xP) I've noticed my chapter names seem to be extremely short and simple, considered beside my usual names. xP**

**Oh, and I was thinking hard about where this was actually going, and I now have a basis. xP It means this will be longer than I expected last chapter and...well, I hope you're up to reading something long xD**

**+ thanks to the people who have reviewed, again. xP**

**Enjoy!**

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Hiyono scowled at the Hunter and he prowled around her. She was sitting in the dark room down the steps that led underground on the other side of the field, where the Hunters had dragged her. She was gagged and her ankles were tied together, as were her wrists, behind her back. Opposite her was Kousuke and Ryoko had been left at the back of the room. Each of them had their own burly guard patrolling, as if they were waiting for someone.

"You're not a member of the Blade Children, are you?" Hiyono's Hunter asked.

She shook her head as best she could.

He turned and looked to his companions. "What should we do with this brat? We don't need her, do we?"

"Not as such," Ryoko's Hunter replied, keeping his eyes on her. "But Gerral might have use for her,"

Both Hunters sniggered and Hiyono's kidnapper smirked down at her. "Yeah, we'll hold onto you for a while. Don't worry, we'll take _good_ care of you," he ran his finger down her cheek and she violently shook her head in an attempt to free herself from his cold touch.

He straightened up with a menacing laugh, when the door on Hiyono's right swung open. All six faces in the compact room swerved round to greet the tall, brawny form in the doorway, his silouette against the bright lights of the hallway making it impossible to make out his facial features.

"Get out here now," he said sharply.

The trio of Hunters obidiently heeled to his side, pulling the door shut behind them.

_What idiots. _Was the thought that was easily traced through Hiyono's, Ryoko's and Kousuke's minds.

Without the hesitation of a split second the three of them began writhing and fidgeting to free themselves from the black fabric which binded them. Kousuke was first to have the tight shackle fall from around his wrists, and he was quick to rip the gag from his mouth and shake himself free of the tie around his ankles. He crawled over to Ryoko to aid in her escape attempt, leaving Hiyono to liberate herself. She'd already lost the wrist tie and the gag but couldn't for the life of her pull away the fabric around her ankles.

Kousuke pulled the gag off of Ryoko first. "Hurry up, idiot!" she hissed.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" he snapped under his breath, fumbling to free her hands.

The door was kicked violently open just as Hiyono scrambled to her feet and ran beside Kousuke, before the back door of the room.

"Don't you go ANYWHERE!" the Hunter who was first into the room roared, racing forward.

"Kousuke, go!" Ryoko cried, still not free.

"Why should I leave you!?"

"GO!"

In a moment of manic peril, Hiyono grabbed Kousuke's arm and dragged him out of the room. She hauled him up the narrow corridor and he stared longingly at the door they'd just left through.

"Run by yourself, Kousuke!" Hiyono let him go and sped up herself.

He stumbled for a moment before finally snapping back to reality and pelting after Hiyono. They were both quick to realise that they were being followed by all three of the Hunters. Kousuke thumped on every door they passed, frequent on both left and right. The second he found one that was open he snatched Hiyono and pulled her into the room.

It was dark, like a stock room, and filled to the brim with boxes. Hiyono closed the door behind her and spun around.

"Where are you?" she hissed.

Her surprised shriek was muffled by Kousuke's hand as he grabbed her and hauled her to the side. He shuffled behind the tower of cardboard boxes directly beside the door and they squeezed into the corner, ever so careful not to knock anything over.

Kousuke kept his hand over reluctant and annoyed Hiyono's mouth as the door was opened. He stared warily through the miniscule gap between the boxes and the wall, eyeing the men as they crept inside.

"You sure they're in here?" one voice muttered.

"Yes, now shut up, you idiot!" was the hushed retort.

They passed the hiding place of the pair of wanted teens. Kousuke leant forward to Hiyono.

"On my count, we push these boxes and run," he muttered, and Hiyono gave a nod. "3... 2... 1..."

Hiyono slammed herself into the boxes and they tumbled to the floor. She jumped to her feet, then paused with the surprised Hunters to look back at blank Kousuke.

"You said on your count!" she said.

He jumped to his feet. "But I meant on 'run'!"

He grabbed her wrist and they bolted out of the room and up the hallway, the Hunters in pursuit from a way back. Hiyono pulled herself out of Kousuke's grasp and followed him up the hallway and straight into the elevator at the end of the passage. Kousuke, having slammed head-on into the back of the lift, yelled as he narrowly avoided being crashed into by Hiyono. She was caused to to the same as Kousuke and hit the back wall hard.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Kousuke yelled impatiently at the keypad, pressing all the buttons randomly.

Finally the doors closed, the Hunters still a good few paces back. Kousuke blew out in relief, leaning back on the wall beside Hiyono. Only now did the pair access their current location; it was a rather high-class lift, like that of a five-star hotel. Mirrors lining the back and side walls, an ugly, beige patterned carpet, and the same pattern on the lower half of the walls.

"I wonder where we are," Hiyono thought aloud.

"Well, we _were_ the basement of something, considering this lift's going up," Kousuke replied, watching the pale blue light indicating which floor they were on. "I can't believe I left Ryoko," he murmured under his breath.

Upon reaching the ground floor, the doors slid open. Hiyono and Kousuke stumbled through the crowd bustling to get into the lift to find themselves in the foyer of what they guessed to be a shopping mall.

"That was unexpected," Kousuke commented.

"I didn't know there was a mall this big anywhere near town," Hiyono said, pacing a few steps forward.

"We're _not_ near town. We don't know where we are," Kousuke reminded her.

"So... what should we do?" she spun around to face him. "I mean, we're lost in some weird shopping centre, on the run from Hunters, and Ryoko's still in the basement,"

"My vote goes to NOT STANDING STILL. We're sitting ducks like this,"

He strode past Hiyono at a brisk pace and she could tell he was tense and concerned for Ryoko's safety. She followed him at a quick run before slowing to a walk at his side.

--

Ryoko gave the two men the coldest, most menacing glare she could muster as they stepped back into the room.

"You won't make it through this without running into Kousuke and the other Blade Children," she spat.

"Yeah? And _you_ won't make it through this alive," her Hunter leant down, his face mere millimeters from hers.

"Back off," she growled.

"I say you won't survive, but what I really mean is," he raised his hand slowly and slammed it on her head, gripping her hair and lifting her slightly off the ground with ease. "Your little friends won't either," he finished into her ear.

"Put her down," the other Hunter warned.

Ryoko was brutally thrown against the wall like she was nothing more than a ragdoll. She slid to the floor and sat feeling very sorry for herself, head bowed, just about ready to give in.

Or, at least, make it look like she was.

--

"Kousuke!" Hiyono exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"I just did, didn't I?" the redhead smirked, thrusting the wrapped sandwich at her. She took it and her jaw dropped as she stared at Kousuke in annoyed disbelief.

"Oh, c'mon, lighten up a little," he said as he walked past her and sat down lazily on a bench. "You're lucky I got you anything," he added, taking a bite of his own sandwich.

"Well, I don't know if I _want_ your stolen food," she threw it to him and crossed her arms moodily, turning her nose up.

"Fine, don't eat anything," he subsided, placing the sandwich beside him.

Hiyono opened one eye and stared at the food. She was so hungry, it had been almost three days now, and it was just sitting there, waiting to be eaten. She could hear it calling to her, the first scrap of food she would've eaten in what seemed like an eternity. And it wasn't necessarily bad food, it was just that Kousuke had stolen it that was putting her off, and now she didn't feel like being put off, she didn't feel like caring, and the sandwich was calling her name...

Maybe that was just the hunger.

"You're lucky I'm prepared to eat it," she said, scooping it up as she plonked herself down beside him.

"Oh? And why the hell am I lucky? It's not my loss if you choose not to eat it, that would just be more for me," Kousuke smirked.

Hiyono didn't bother with an answer, just scoffed the sandwich like a pig. Kousuke raised one eyebrow, having already finished his food.

"Well hurry up, like I said, we can't just sit here," he stood up.

"Finished," Hiyono grinned, jumping up beside him.

Kousuke stared at her in disbelief, and all she did was giggle in reply.

--

The tie around Ryoko's wrists was gripped and she was jerked to her feet by the Hunter. She'd once again been gagged but had long decided she wasn't even going to act like she was giving in, or even planning on it. She screeched into the gag, furiously trying to rip herself away from the burly man as he hauled her down the brightly-lit passage. She was forced into an elevator and very nearly tripped inside, causing her to stumble into the other Hunter who was already inside. He looked down his nose at her, clearly the reserved and most high-and-mighty of the trio of enemies.

As the doors slid closed, so did Ryoko's hope of ever finding Kousuke again. At this rate, he would've run as far away as possible, and even if he might still be thinking about her, he wouldn't return without Rio or Eyes or even Kanone and to do that he'd have to find his way back to town.

Ryoko gave a gasp and flinched forward when she felt hands on her ankles. She looked down to see one Hunter untying her shackled feet, then he moved to her wrists and finally the gag.

"What are you..!?" Ryoko started.

"Keep quiet, you little brat," her own Hunter snapped. "You stay by our sides as we go through here, and if you make any movement to get away or call for help, we won't hesitate to kill you right there and then,"

"But what good would that do you?" Ryoko was starting to become anxious.

"Well, you won't call for just anyone. You would've seen someone you knew, most likely those other Blade Children. And if they're in the area, they'll have to watch you die,"

"They'll surely come to your rescue," the quieter but far more scarier Hunter carried on. "And they'll have no idea that we'll have guns in our pockets,"

Ryoko's eyes widened. They'd really got this whole thing planned out from beginning to end, from top to bottom. The doors finally opened and Ryoko found herself on the second floor of a crowded shopping mall. The Hunters walked out and she scurried after them, stalking them unwillingly through the shopping centre.

Suddenly, there they were; Kousuke and Hiyono, on the other side of the wide passage of shops they were marching down. Ryoko stared with eyes enlarged and heartbroken; they were having fun. They were _smiling_. Kousuke was holding what looked like a sandwich in the air and Hiyono was desperately trying to grab it. Ryoko just stared until they were lost amongst other people.

_Have they forgotten about me?_

--

"Kousuke! Give me the sandwich!" Hiyono begged, jumping up and stretching to reach the food once more.

Kousuke just stepped back further, that arrogant smirk still on his face. "No way, this one's my one,"

"But you've already had one!"

"So have you!"

"Dammit, if Ayumu was here..." Hiyono muttered under her breath.

She gasped; she hadn't thought about Ayumu in what seemed like a decade. His name just hadn't crossed her mind. And, now that it had... that feeling of lonliness which instantly and unwillingly melted to white-hot rage returned, and Hiyono felt ready to burst.

"Kousuke," she scowled through gritted teeth, advancing on him slowly and wiping the smile from his face. "Hand it over, or I'll have to take your hand with it,"

"Alright, alright, jeez," he gave it over and she snatched it, swiveling around to begin eating. Kousuke stared at her in shock - she'd been perfectly happy and averagely behaved not thirty seconds ago, and now that evil, bad-hearted Hiyono had returned.

That Hiyono that not one of the people she knew in the world liked to see.

It was a character that everyone she knew barely _did_ see. Someone who would knock your head off with words as brutal and malicious as the Devil's own words if you angered her even slightly. And Kousuke was stuck with her.

--

Ryoko peered around her as she followed the two men out of the mall to a road, completely at a lack for other people. She shrieked when a gag was thrust around her from behind and she growled into the fabric as an even tighter knot was tied on the back of her head. Her head was aching and burning with pain, but that wasn't what she was currently worried about. There was a car waiting for them, sleek and jet-black, with blacked out windows. It was clearly someone's prized possession in that it was polished to a point that it reflected the sun like glass and it was so spotless it almost worked perfectly as a mirror.

Ryoko was pushed violently into the back seats, and her Hunter sat beside her. The other got into the front seat and barely before Ryoko had a chance to blink, the doors were locked and they were driving up the street. She leant tiredly to the right, staring out the window. She couldn't be bothered anymore. Couldn't be bothered to fight or protest. She just watched as the scenery of buildings and trees passed, the occasional bumping of the vehicle only making her head hurt further.

**A/N: I think this is turning out quite well, in my opinion. xP**


	4. Fire

**A/N: I'm back from holiday and finally updating! Sorry about the wait! And just for the record, this chapter took me **_**ages**_** to write because writer's block is attacking my mind. 0.0 If it sucks, **_**please**_** let me know!**

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"Kousuke, she's obviously _not_ here!" Hiyono exclaimed in annoyance, wandering lazily after active Kousuke through the familiar basement passage.

"Well, where could they have taken her?" he snapped accusingly.

Hiyono's presence wasn't helping to calm Kousuke's nerves at all. On the contrary, she was just making him more uptight. One minute she would be perfectly cheerful and happy, the next she would be snappy and as explosive and hard to be around as an active bomb. Kousuke was more than ready to just lock her somewhere and let her be captured, but he knew that wouldn't help things. If the Hunters got hold of Hiyono as well, they'd probably make Kousuke choose between the life of Ryoko or Hiyono, he would surely choose Ryoko to live, they would eventually return with the burden of Hiyono's death on their already twisted minds and Ayumu would practically skin Kousuke alive, thus shattering any chances of the Blade Children ever being helped by Ayumu...

"Hello? Earth to Kousuke?" Hiyono prodded him in the shoulder for the third time. She peered up at him with wide eyes, curious as a kitten. "What's with you right now?"

"What do you think, you idiot?" he asked, flinching away from her and carrying on up the corridor.

"Urgh, don't talk to me like that!" she cried, stalking after him with sparks flying off her heels.

--

Ryoko could no longer deny the violent temperature drop in her body, overcome with fear. The shock and the questions were swimming in her eyes. She was being walked into a tall building, which was so spotlessly clean on the outside that it could almost work as a mirror the whole way around. Once inside, the Hunters led their prey into a lift and up to the very top floor. It was a long way up. In the silence, Ryoko thought only of Kousuke, and how he would possibly find where she was when _she_ didn't even know where she was.

"Hey, where have you taken me?" she asked bravely.

She got no answer, or even any recognition to speaking at all.

"Hey! Where are we?" she asked, raising her shaky voice.

Nothing. Not a sound apart from the gentle buzzing of the elevator.

Upon finally arriving at their destination, Ryoko was pushed brutally out of the lift into a very compact, empty room. She shrieked when she lost her footing and stumbled forward into a door. Whirling around, she watched in relief as the lift left with both Hunters still inside. She knew that couldn't be good for her, but for now, at least she was alone. For a while. She wasn't going through that door yet.

--

"Where are you going!?" Hiyono snapped at rushing Kousuke.

"I don't know. Anywhere!" he carried on out of the front door of the mall. "I have to find Ryoko!"

"You're not a dog, Kousuke, it's not like you can follow her scent!"

"So what do you propose we do!?"

"I propose we find our way back to the city!"

Kousuke stopped now, turning to face her, and this sudden action made Hiyono freeze as well. During the time they'd been charging through and out of the mall shouting at the tops of their lungs, Kousuke had led the pair and they hadn't made eye contact at all. They hadn't in a long while. And so now, suddenly stopping dead and staring at each other felt somewhat... odd.

"Fine," Kousuke agreed eventually. "We go over the fields, through the forest and we don't stop until we find the city. Got it?" he was already turning to carry on.

"Yeah," Hiyono only spoke quietly, through a breath, because 'until we find the city' meant 'until we find Ayumu' to Hiyono's bleeding mind.

--

Ryoko took a deep breath, resting her hand on the rusty doornob. There was no other way for her to go, considering the lift really wasn't returning to her floor anymore. There were no windows, and even if there were, they would only take her to a deathly impact on concrete which she would surely not survive.

She turned the handle and gently nudged the door open a fraction. She only had time to gasp before her hand was gripped by a strangely comforting touch and she was yanked inside, the door slammed after her.

--

"I don't believe it," Hiyono whispered.

"I know," Kousuke breathed in agreement. "It's just so... unexpected,"

"And unexplained,"

Hiyono and Kousuke were standing at the border of the forest, or, rather, they should have been. Truthfully, they were standing with their shoes just placed over the jet-black soil, the remains of the burnt trees littering the area.

"I wonder how this happened?" Hiyono wondered, rubbing her arms as she glanced around, the eery breeze getting to her. Kousuke took a few steps into the rubble.

"Well, come on. I said we weren't stopping, and look - I can see the city,"

He pointed out to the distance, where the tips of the tallest buildings peered at them from beneath a steep hill a good number of yards before the forest which the trio had clearly trekked up. Hiyono's face lit up and she raced right past Kousuke like a bullet. With a shake of his head, he laughed and followed.

Hiyono ran with a huge grin on her face. She moved as fast as her legs would carry her, and seemed to laugh with every step she placed on the grass. She was already stumbling down the hill, and Kousuke was in close pursuit. He was the first to trip and crashed straight into Hiyono, sending them both cascading down the hill. The only reason they eventually came to a halt was when they collided with a car.

Hiyono was first to her feet, jumping up lightly and brushing herself down as if nothing had happened. She looked up, a broad grin eager to be greeted with the sight of the city, but instead she was just greeted with the sight of a man sitting in the car pointing a rifle at her through the open window. She gasped and staggered back, but fell back over Kousuke in the process.

"You idiot! Get off me!" he knocked her legs off his back and got up.

He turned to yell some more at Hiyono when the rifle was pressed into his back, stopping him dead. He knew well enough what a gun felt like.

**A/N: Only a short-ish chapter this time but... yeah. Ooh, the tension's rising!**


	5. And they were who again?

**A/N: Sorry about the wait, again. I've been busy... I will finish this story! I surprise myself that I've only got this fic and my latest Kingdom Hearts fic going right now and they're still taking up so much time. Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter!**

--

"Kousuke, he's got a GUN!" Hiyono screeched as she jumped up, pointing manically behind Kousuke.

"I know that," he answered blankly.

"We've got guns and we're not afraid to pull the triggers," the man wielding the weapon threatened.

"Who are you?" Kousuke asked in slight disbelief as to what mess he had just ended up in. He was fearlessly rolling his eyes in annoyance and Hiyono very nearly found herself looking up to him; but not quite.

"Name's Gerral,

Hiyono and Kousuke both found their eyes widening. They'd heard that name before. Kousuke was the first to think deeply about the query in his mind but Hiyono was the first to realise that Gerral had been working with the Hunters which had previously captured them, and still had Ryoko. Or so they thought.

"And what does 'Gerral' want with us?" Kousuke questioned, glancing over his shoulder.

"Gerral," the woman in the passenger seat leant forward to make herself seen. "wants what I want. And whatever Gerral wants, he gets,"

"Well, _that_ answered the question," Hiyono replied moodily. "So what is it that you're gonna do to us? I don't suppose you're pointing a gun in Kousuke's back if you didn't want something from us,"

"You're right," Gerral said. "But it's not really you we want, it's the boy, here,"

"Go figure," Kousuke muttered.

--

Eyes paced the floor of his penthouse with uncharacteristic fretfulness. Rio watched from where she was perched innocently on his piano stool.

"Eyes, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Thinking, Rio," he answered flatly. It never ceased to amaze some people how Eyes could feel supposedly everything an actual human could feel behind his emotionless cover. Now he paused in mid-step to peer at Rio with a look which suggested he was getting an idea.

"Thinking about what?" the girl pressed.

"About how to get Kousuke and Ryoko back from the Hunters," Eyes replied, approaching her. He sat beside her with a sigh.

"We will find them," Rio said softly but encouragingly, placing a hand on Eyes' shoulder.

"It's good to have hope, Rio, but we still don't know if my plan will work."

"What plan?"

--

"I can't bloody believe this," Kousuke muttered angrily.

"It's not that bad. It can't be, can it?" Hiyono seemed hopeful, but really it was just a forced hope.

The pair were sitting unwillingly in the back of Gerral's car, hands tied behind their back. Kousuke had put up a fight against the burly man but lost, while Hiyono had been unsuspectingly caught by his wife Risa. Hiyono's capture had caught Kousuke's attention and Gerral had managed to grab him off guard, thus leading to their current situation.

"...and maybe we'll get taken to Ryoko,"

Kousuke glanced with wide eyes to Hiyono; that sentence had been the only one in amongst her aimless babbling to catch his attention. Maybe they were being taken to wherever Ryoko was, and that was a good thing regardless of where she actually was - in Kousuke's eyes, anyway.

"Hey, Gerral, Risa," Kousuke leant forward just to make sure he could be heard as Gerral drove them through the city. "Have you or the other Hunters got Ryoko somewhere?"

"Ryoko?" both of the couple stated in confusion. "Never heard of 'er," Gerral replied simply.

"What?" Kousuke felt another corner of his heart chip off. "But you must do, you're the ones who took her, or at least gave the order, aren't you?"

"Sorry, kid, we don't know any Ryoko," Gerral seemed annoyed at the persistence of Kousuke, clearly someone with a short temper.

"Except for Miss Alcohol," Risa snorted, and they both laughed in memory as Kousuke sank back to his seat.

"Now I _really_ can't bloody believe this," he mumbled.

"Hey, are you two Hunters?" Hiyono asked with confidence few people could've mustered in the situation.

"'Hunters'? To some extent, but I don't think we're the type you're talking about," Risa answered.

"Great!" Hiyono and Kousuke both sarcastically cried.

--

The very moment the car slowed to a halt on the gravel of a back path, Kousuke and Hiyono wrenched down the handles of the doors they'd awkwardly latched their tied hands onto and leapt out. Hiyono lost her footing almost immediately and collapsed to the ground, but before she could be caught again she was up and chasing Kousuke back the way they'd come.

"Get back here, you li'l BRATS!" Gerral roared, slamming the door violently behind him and sprinting after them.

"Gerral, don't bother!" Risa exclaimed in his direction. "There is no way I'm running in these heels," she muttered through gritted teeth.

She carried on grinding her spotless teeth as she stormed up the path with sparks flying off her heels. Literally. Hiyono had turned left the way they'd come from while Kousuke had swerved right down a narrow side alley, and his annoyed yell to Hiyono hadn't changed either of their chosen directions. Kousuke was sprinting frantically trying to get free of the rope, and when he did he was just thankful for a more useful way to bat away the leaves from the overgrowing bush lining the alley than his head. Gerral had chosen to follow him instead of Hiyono, leaving Risa to chase the girl. Risa was stepping awkwardly, fists clenched as she tried to keep her eyes on Hiyono. Eventually she simply got bored and annoyed and kicked off her shoes, scooping them up. She yelped with every bare foot she placed on the stones but decided to bear with it.

"Oh, come _on_!" Hiyono begged as she tried to wrench and haul her hands free. Unsuccessfully.

"The rope won't answer, it's an inanimate object," Risa smirked breathlessly as she approached Hiyono, who was before the brick wall of a building.

"Yes, well, I wasn't talking to my shoes all the way here," Hiyono answered smartly, finally letting the rope slip to the ground.

"Damn kid," Gerral mumbled as he felt his legs begin to tire out.

Kousuke was still bolting up the alleyway. He was also exhausted and clutching his side in an attempt to block out the agonizing stitch, but there seemed to be nothing he could do to ease the pain and he simply had to keep moving.

"Kousuke!" Hiyono yelled as she cycled into view on a bike at the end of the alley.

Completely taken aback, Kousuke momentarily slowed down but suddenly realised he was an easy target and took back up the sprint.

"Hiyono, what the hell are you doing!?" he called through a laugh, jumping onto the bike Hiyono had waiting for him.

"I don't know anymore!" she exclaimed back as she began to ride off.

They both knew the city like the back of their hand, but that didn't help with their deciding where to go. Hiyono was extremely keen to go knocking for Ayumu, while Kousuke would've rather returned to Eyes and most likely Rio. Nothing was said about it, but now, after everything, it seemed almost strange for the pair to suddenly split paths and go two completely different ways about the same situation.

They ended up at a café sipping much needed mugs of coffee. Needless to say, Hiyono was the one with the money; which she had apparently hid from Kousuke during their time in the mall. The bubbly female was already on her third cup and her second giant chocolate muffin, while Kousuke was becoming more and more worried about Ryoko with every second that passed and could barely force himself to struggle through one mug.

"Hiyono, how can you still be eating?" he asked in blatant disgust.

She glanced up and gave him a blank look, her mouth already full of muffin as she continued to shovel more in. "I'm 'ungry," she replied stiffly.

"I don't care if you're about to starve to death, we can't just sit here. We need to get help and save Ryoko before she gets into real trouble,"

Hiyono snatched a large swig of coffee before flatly answering. "Sure she's not in real trouble already?"

"Shut up and hurry up!"

Kousuke grabbed her by the arm and led her out of the café and back onto the bicycles Hiyono had found stray on the street during her run from Risa.

The sky was darkening ever so slowly but all too quickly. Hiyono led the pair through the city, and Kousuke didn't know it but she was leading them to Ayumu's apartment. With every time their feet wound around the pedals, they drifted deeper into the sound of the city. Life went on without any recognition of the Blade Children or their struggles. It always had. It happened to all people, no one person could have the entire world worry about their troubles, but the Blade Children were so remote and stranded in their own minds that not even Ayumu or Hiyono or even the Hunters could understand what they thought about each day.

_Blood. Death. Pain._

_Love._

--

"I can't believe Ayumu wasn't in!" Hiyono exclaimed angrily.

She and Kousuke were pacing up the street, wheeling their bikes for lack of proper lighting in the surrounding darkness, Hiyono having been thumping on Ayumu's door and inevitably Madoka's head for a few minutes before she was dragged away by Kousuke.

"Will you just let it go?" Kousuke rolled his eyes away from her. "Come on, I think I know the way to Eyes' penthouse from here,"

"You think I'm going to see _Eyes_? As if! He hates me,"

"He doesn't hate you, he just seems to hate you. Trust me, if everyone took his appearance seriously, he wouldn't like anyone,"

Hiyono sighed. She was not only further downhearted because of Ayumu's inability to be in when she needed him, but she was even more annoyed that the next most likely place they would end up was indeed Eyes' penthouse.

"Hiyono! Hey, Hiyono!"

The pair with bikes both jumped at the sound of the voice shooting into their ears. It lingered in Hiyono's mind and after a moment of registering it, she realised it was Ayumu calling her.

"Ayumu!?" she whirled around.

There he was. Striding towards her so casually, waving so simply.

Kousuke blinked from Hiyono to Ayumu.

"Wait, Hiyono, that's…"

Hiyono was already running. The bike had rattled to the ground in her whirlwind rocket launch and she'd never moved so fast as she sprinted back up the street. Arms out wide either side of her, she could feel her heart mending itself as she got closer and closer to Ayumu.

"Ayu--"

Something hit her hard in face as she slammed straight into the cold brick wall. She slid down the wall a little but stayed upright, face, and heart, stifling cries into the icy sheet of bricks before her. She was crying. She was crying _again._ Again she was crying over some stupid hallucination and if this didn't stop, it really would drive her to the unspeakable.

"Hiyono!" Kousuke slowed from his jog and took her by the arm.

She'd already gone way past insanity.

"What the hell happened there!?" he asked in disbelief, concern hidden by annoyance.

So far past she'd probably surpass it completely.

"Hiyo--" he stopped in surprise when she turned and stepped into his unready arms.

But what she hadn't surpassed…

Kousuke tentatively put his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest, both of them unsure really of how to go about this.

…what she would never surpass…

Before Kousuke even realised it, he was soothing her gently. The second his own actions and his own voice reached his senses, he pushed her away but kept a hold on her shoulders so he could peer down and whisper comfort into her tightly closed eyes.

…was Ayumu.

--

**A/N: OK, three things. Number one, what do you all think of my new name? Number two, sorry about the drabbling about in the middle, but I got lazy and this is therefore once again shorter than I intended. And I know pointing out this kind of thing only makes it seems worse… bleh. And third, I desperately need someone (preferably one of you guys) to give me a (rather) detailed personality for Kanone. It's a long story to why I don't know, but **_**please**_** stick it in a review! Ta!**


	6. Love Her

**A/N: Re-posted last chapter for many reasons.**

**Sorry, guys. I know, I know. It's been a long, long time since I updated, right? So sorry! I've been so busy and other things kept coming up and.. yeah. **

**But, the long-awaited Ayumu Narumi is making his appearance this chapter!**

**A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed. You're all awesome. :]**

--

"Sorry, er, about earlier, Kousuke," Hiyono mumbled.

"Eh, don't worry about it," the boy waved her off.

Having nowhere they were willing to go in the twisted situation they'd gotten themselves into, the pair had traipsed around the town for a near fifteen minutes. Kousuke had been getting a little bored with tolerating Hiyono's crying, and as luck would have it, they'd come across a 24-hour café. Now, they were sat on opposing ends of a family-sized table, cradling cups of hot chocolate like their lives depended on it.

"Hey, Kousuke,"

"Yeah?" he former was slumped casually over the dull-coloured seats, making himself gratefully at home. Sleep was becoming a rare luxury in their lives at that point and it was getting to Kousuke more than Hiyono.

"Could you, erm, do me a favor?"

"Urgh. Depends what,"

Hiyono voice was sinking into further quietness as her head sagged further into the table. "Can… can we go to your apartment?"

He blinked at her. "Why not your house?"

She looked annoyed to have to speak again. "Because my parents won't let me out _now_, I'll be in a straightjacket for the next few days," she moaned.

"Erm," he thought hard about it. They needed _somewhere_ to go, but was he going to let Hiyono Yuizaki into his own home? He rested his eyes on her. She was practically falling asleep where she sat. Both of them, in all honesty, were feeling this whole ordeal, every little thing considered, taking its toll on their bodies. But not more so than their minds.

They were tired, you could go so far as exhausted or even just completely shattered, both physically and mentally.

--

So they slept. Slumped over the diner table. Uncaring of what anyone thought whether they had been asleep or awake. The waitress made sure no one bothered them and even replaced their dying hot chocolate with cups of boiling tea where they had been beside the pair's cheeks so as to keep them warm. The night was chilly, and rain drizzled into the ground. There was almost no wind, but said stillness gave the whole city a deplorable eeriness which it often lacked, regardless of the time of day.

--

Kousuke and Hiyono weren't the only pair to be asleep in an inappropriate place. Eyes was slouched over his grand piano, fingers still resting on the keys from the last note he played in the lullaby which induced his friend's and his own sleep, in a manner which didn't seem very much like Eyes' proud, somewhat aristocratic style. On the opposing side of the piano, Rio was curled up on the chair she'd pulled over. She seemed like the little child she appeared to be as she slept; quiet, perfectly smooth breaths, like a young child after a long day of repetitive yet enjoyable time. On the sleek piano surface between them stood the proud vase of irises, almost glimmering in the shine still emitting from the lights on the ceiling.

--

_I can't believe I still haven't found her._

He didn't know where on earth she had gone and he knew even less why he was so bothered about it. He'd already given up once that night but when he arrived home, he was told that Hiyono knocked for him by a very disgruntled Madoka. He could've guessed that just by registering the blatant arrogance in the first word Madoka had said. So, he'd gone straight back out on the search.

_Still no sign of her._

--

Rio was jerked awake sharply. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, disinclined to greeting the light of day through the merciless glass of the penthouse. She stretched and paused to question what had woken her; knocks on the door.

"Eye--" she halted herself and withdrew the hand that was going to touch his arm. If he was still asleep, he probably wouldn't be pleased about being woken. At least not for something important.

She made her way to the door, not at all fazed about waking up in the penthouse - again. By the time she'd turned the handle the door was open and the sight of Kanone greeted her.

"Kanone?" she asked in complete disbelief.

"Hello there, Rio," he grinned.

_He seems… pretty casual about being back here. _Rio thought to herself. _But why is he back? I didn't think he'd ever return to Eyes after the fight._

"What are you…?" Rio was cut off.

"Look who I brought," he stepped aside to reveal Ryoko.

"Ryoko!" Rio jumped through the doorway and wrapped her arms around the clearly shaken girl before she could even think about doing it.

"I found her wandering around the city on my way to come here," Kanone held the smile as he approached Eyes. "Hello?" he gave the man a gentle shake and he awoke quickly.

"Ka…none?" his eyes widened with each blink he forced to try and focus his eyes. "Kanone? What are you doing here…?" he calmed himself and glanced around; it was light, almost like the middle of the day, and not only did Kanone indeed stand beside him, but Rio was frenziedly checking Ryoko over in the doorway.

"I was on my way here to talk to you when I found her in a very bad way. Eyes, what's been going on?" Kanone attempted to sit beside Eyes and had to nudge him over a little to fit.

"Kousuke and Ryoko were taken by Hunters." Despite how long it had been, how confusing a reason Kanone must have, Eyes still had the deepest urge to confide everything in him, to trust him just like they trusted each other before the fight.

_Some things never change…_

--

Kousuke still hadn't moved. He'd awoken, yes, and sat up with a groggy, crooked smile in Hiyono's direction, and his jaw had dropped when he saw her eating. A full-scale cooked breakfast, she was shoveling it into her mouth in scoops of however much she could balance on her knife and fork.

"Some things never change, I guess," he muttered, still in shock.

"Nnuh?" Hiyono paused with a mouthful of food and glanced up by means of question. Kousuke said nothing, just shook his head and laughed.

Hiyono gulped down her mouthful, so much so that it was a wonder she didn't choke. She must've been used to it, Kousuke thought.

"So. Now that you've regained consciousness, we have to go somewhere," she placed the cutlery on the almost cleaned plate, and it was then that Kousuke realised there were two other plates stacked beneath it. Complete proof it was her third meal in half an hour.

"Did you pay for that…?"

"It doesn't matter, where are we going to go? _I_ want to go find Ayumu…"

"No way. Why should I have to follow you on your hunt for your little boyfriend?" Kousuke took on the arrogant smirk Hiyono almost thought she missed - almost.

"Yeah, well you _could_ just go on the hunt for _your_ little girlfriend on your own, you know," she retaliated. She sat back, crossing her arms in a clear sign that she was happy with that comeback.

"Urgh, whatever, let's just go find Eyes."

Kousuke slipped out of the seat and even though she glared, Hiyono followed, slipping on her coat again.

--

Ayumu buried his hands into his coat pockets. Despite the usual warmth or at least tepidness of the season, it was a cold, damp day in the city. Cars that drove up the streets at even a moderate speed were liable to splashing the pedestrians with water.

The boy had no umbrella, no hood on his coat that he chose to wear, unlike every person he passed. He was bored and tired of looking for Hiyono. He'd been out all night at the very real risk of being kidnapped or attacked and he hadn't seen any trace of her at all, or even any of the Blade Children at the very least. He couldn't but wonder how they were doing. It had been a long time since they last saw each other, after all, and there was the raging fight between Eyes and Kanone everyone had been witness to a few months ago - was that the last time he saw them? Ah. That couldn't be a good sign.

He almost yelled in surprise when two arms were flung around him from behind. He glanced behind him repeatedly and it wasn't long before he realised it was Hiyono, sobbing into his coat and holding him so tightly he thought he might suffocate before he could even tell her he loved her.

--

**A/N: Wow. 'kay, even I wasn't expecting this ending. Hahaaaa! :D Reviews? I love to know what you people think. :D**


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